Researchers
at the University of Houston (UH) are recommending a new strategy for
developing drugs to treat cancer, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and
cardiovascular diseases.

In an
invited review published in the October issue of Nature Reviews Drug Discovery,
scientists at the Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling (CNRCS) at UH
outline the results of years of research following the team’s 1996 discovery of
the estrogen receptor beta (ERβ).

“We have
known for some time that female sex hormones – estrogens – influence a number
of functions in the human body,” said Dr. Jan-Åke Gustafsson, UH professor and
CNRCS director. “Only recently have we and others found that one of the
estrogen receptors – ERβ – is a potential target for the treatment of
Alzheimer’s and other chronic diseases.”

Gustafsson
is best known as a leading expert on estrogen receptors, being credited with
the earlier discovery of ERβ during his tenure at the Karolinska Institutet in
Stockholm, Sweden. In Houston since 2009, Gustafsson has hand-selected a team
of experts to build on his initial breakthrough. For this latest review, the
team was invited to share the most recent results of their research.

The two
estrogen receptors, estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and ERβ, have their effects
on cells via activation by hormones circulating in the body. The influence of
these receptors in the human body spans such diverse functions as fertility,
metabolism, and the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Due to their expanded
role in human health, these receptors represent an ideal target for drugs and
therapeutic treatments.

Studies
conducted following Gustafsson’s discovery of ERβ have shown intriguing
differences in tissue distribution and gene regulation when compared to the
role of ERα. There has since been an intense effort in both academia and
industry to develop ERβ-specific research tools and potential therapeutics for
a multitude of conditions.

One
successful example of using ERβ as a drug target has proven the receptor as an
effective cancer cell combatant in breast cancer tissue. Closer examination of
human breast cancer cell lines determined that, while ERα alone may stimulate
the development of tumors, the combined presence of ERα and ERβ reduced and
prevented tumor development.

“These
modulators are well-established in the treatment of breast cancer and
osteoporosis,” Gustafsson said. “We now are pushing the limits of their
influence to develop new treatments and ultimately save lives.”

CNRCS
researchers continue to examine the two estrogen receptor subtypes in various
animal disease models, focused on identifying therapeutic opportunities. ERβ
remains the most likely target for expanding treatments beyond breast cancer.
The widespread involvement of ERβ presents the greatest probability for
impacting these other diseases. Early results indicate that the selective
activation of ERβ may represent a safe, disease-modifying therapy for the
treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Editorial Note: High-resolution photos of Jan-Åke
Gustafsson are available to media by contacting Lisa Merkl.

About the University of HoustonThe
University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research
university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation’s best
colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive
Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential
learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation’s
fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 38,500 students in the most ethnically
and culturally diverse region in the country.

About the
College of Natural Sciences and MathematicsThe UH College of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics, with 181 ranked faculty and approximately 4,500 students, offers
bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in the natural sciences,
computational sciences and mathematics.
Faculty members in the departments of biology and biochemistry,
chemistry, computer science, earth and atmospheric sciences, mathematics and
physics conduct internationally recognized research in collaboration with
industry, Texas Medical Center institutions, NASA and others worldwide.

About the UH Center for Nuclear
Receptors and Cell SignalingEstablished
in 2009, the University of Houston Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell
Signaling (CNRCS) is the centerpiece of the university’s tier-one biomedical
research initiative and member of the internationally renowned Texas Medical
Center. Working from the center’s state-of-the-art labs, CNRCS researchers
combine interdisciplinary research with dynamic collaboration within the
medical center and with industry partners, with the goal of finding new
treatments for an array of significant diseases, including cancer, diabetes and
metabolic syndrome. To learn more, visit http://cnrcs.uh.edu.